Ecuador's National Court of Justice on Thursday sentenced former President Jamil Mahuad in absentia to 12 years in jail for embezzlement.

In its Twitter account, the court said that Judge Ximena Vintimilla's ruling is rigorous since Mahuad's crime "had caused enormous social consequences that Ecuador continues to suffer to this date."

Mahuad, who is now living in the United States and teaching at Harvard University, faces a remand order issued by the same court for a trial over embezzlement.

The 64-year-old politician, who was elected president of Ecuador in 1998, was forced to resign in January 2000 after a week of demonstrations by Ecuadorians and a military revolt led by Lucio Gutierrez.

Mahuad has rejected the indictment, arguing that the case against him was politically motivated.

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